New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-04
Mr. FOESTEH'.S Double.

Mr. Balfour IN Dublin Castle is Mr.. TorStcr's
double. He is making distlnCtlvcly political
Use OF the Coercion Act and ~ filling h4InIln-
ham and the pals with the active workers ol
the National League. Five Of the Nationalist
members are either already III prison or viii
speedily be- there. About two hundred agents
OF the National League are now iii lall The
Government is pursuing Mr. olstcrs general
policy with the single exception that IL Is oil
tanning convictions from the bench under tho
press clauses Of the Coercion Act IN place 81
arbitrarily ancSting Nationalist leaders and
agtators. hlc this Is an important dlstinc-
,ion il j. still true that Mr.. BallOurs man
purpose, like Mr.. ForStcrs, is to break up the
National League. He is not puni>hng OdiOus
crimes with an outstrctchcd arm as Lord spcn-
Ger and sir George 1lcvciyan struck down
murdcrcrs, asSaSSlnS and maraudcis. lie l.
wagIng warfare upon the political icadna ana
agents Of the National League under cover Ol
the new Coercion Act.
in this removal Of Mr.. Forstcrs vigorous but
Inflated policy, Mr.. Balour has one mu"cd
advantage over his predecessor. When The
Land League was suppressed and kllmainham
was filled with political prisoners under
system little better than the lcttrc dc cachct,
secret societies were everywhere formed
recourse was had to violence, moon
lighters began their raids and as
sasslns plotted murder in PhGnM
Park This was the dilcct effect Of warfare
which was recognized to be essentially political
in It's nature. The worst classes Of cyIi-docls
rcvcilcd in crime, violence and defiance Of law
MIR. Bai1OurS advantage Is tins Il restraining
influence is now exercised oyer ireland which
was not cXcrtcd when Nh. Forster was fighting
the Land League and had both English paitIca
behind him. The formation Of secret societies
and the preparation Of deeds Of violence arc
prevented in large measure by the support
which is given TO the Irish party by liomc liuIo
ty tho Tories with instlgating crime and law.
Icssncss in ireland Nothing could be moro
(disc than this accusation. The support Of the
English Liberals Is Il powerful deterrent III
flucncc so far as Irish excuses are concerned.
The reign Of lawlcssncss would be Ic-Cstabllsncd
day, as il was in Mr. orsicrS time, If Home
Rule had not been advocated by Mr.. Gladstone
II Mr. I,aIfour in this respect is highly
favored in rcsumlng Mr.. Forstcrs policy, hc
aboIs under the disadvantage Of attempting
to repeat what proved disastrous failure.
London correspondent in his dispatches to TiIE
TRIBUNE in this issue forecasts the probable
effect upon British electors Of the rigorous use
now making of the press clauses Of the C"cr
cion Act. 1t is Mr. TolStcrs kilmanham
campaign over again; and was not the failure
of that first political raid on the Nationalist
complete? We're not the doors Of kilmalnham
finally opened, although both English parties
had joined hands in closing them? What
ground has Mr.. Bifour to hope that he can
succeed in keeping those doors closed, when
one half of England and Scotland believes that
they should be opened wide? The British
clcctor is man endowed with practical in
siIncts in politics. lie knows in his heart that
Mr.. Bailou,'s policy is fools play.
Irish public opinion docs not stand behind
these convictions for press offences IL Is
British law coming to the Irish people, as Mr..
Gladstone has said, with "A foreign aspect.
Conviction does not degrade the prisoners in
their sight. 1t makes patriots and heroes OF